A side unknown
by amaya-nara
Summary: While in The Village Hidden In The Leaves with Itachi, Kisame meets a girl, and can't stop thinking about her. While tromping through the woods one day a week later, they meet up. Nothing good can come of this, can it?


**A side unknown**

It had been a week since they had last been in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but still Kisame found his mind always wandering, never able to focus fully. He became distracted in battle, and gave mere half answers, which of course, annoyed the hell out of Itachi.

Kisames mind constantly wandered to a girl he seen in the village. Her sweet smile, her small heart-shaped face, her long, shiny black hair, her friendly personality. She was beautiful inside and out. She worked at a flower shop, which seemed to be the icing on the cake, to Kisame.

Her name was Ayako Kobayashi. She told him Ayako meant 'pretty child'. _Suits her perfectly, _he thought, and immediately scolded himself. He didn't feel this way. He wasn't _supposed_ to. People like him didn't fall for women, they fell for _him._ Of course, that didn't happen often, him being a big blue shark-like freak, and all.

He felt the urge to sigh, but refrained from doing so, giving a side-ways glance to Itachi, and regretting doing so. Itachi was studying Kisame's profile, probably wondering what was going on in that blue head of his. Kisame knew if he told Itachi of Ayako, he would probably kill her, just to rid Kisame of his weakness.

His mind wandered again, back to the first night they were in the village.

*_Flashback*_

_They had been eating at a restaurant, Kisame sitting on the side of the table facing the street. He was watching the street absently, when he seen her. She was walking out of the flower shop, and lugging potted plants back in._ _He got up, excusing himself from the table, leaving Itachi to eat by himself, and undoubtedly wonder what the hell Kisame was doing._

_He crossed the road, and stood behind the girl._ _She turned around, and let out a startled breath._

"_Who are _you?" _she asked, taking in his blue skin, blue hair, and shark-like resemblance._

"_No one you need to worry about," he replied._

"_Hunh. Well. Can I help you?"_

"_Sure," he replied, lazily staring around at the remaining potted plants, unable to stifle a disgusted sigh at such silly things. It always blew his mind that people liked these things._

"_With what," she had noted the disgusted sigh._

"_Whatever," he said, returning his eyes to her._

"_Okaaay... do you need a present for someone?"_

_He had smiled at the idea of handing a bunch of flowers to Itachi. No doubt the man would rip them up._

"_Say, what time do you get off?"_

_She looked taken aback by the question._

"_In about five minutes."_

"_Come with me?"_

"_I really shouldn't..."_

"_I don't bite," he replied with a smirk. _Much,_ he added to himself. He was enjoying his little game._

"_Well..."_

"_Come on then," he said impatiently._

"_But the shop-"_

"_Is a waste. So are flowers."_

_She sighed, but followed him nonetheless._

_They spent the night talking in the bar. Women were never interested in Kisame, which is why he revelled in this night_ _so much._

_Itachi was itching to leave the next day, and so as they walked down the street with the flower shop, Kisame merely glanced inside, smirking when Ayako looked out._

_*End Flashback*_

They were walking through the thicker bit of the forest, when Kisame remembered Ayako telling him that she left the Village every week, with her younger brother, to visit relatives. She hadn't said where, but Kisame found himself hoping they would cross paths. He scolded himself again.

He just wanted to forget about her, to go on with life. Besides, his life didn't allow him the time or pleasure of having relationships other then those of his companions in the Akatsuki.

Itachi stopped, holding out his arm so as to stop Kisame too. He looked over at his dark haired companion, and understood that someone was out in the trees somewhere. He stopped breathing for the second, trying to pick up a noise of some sort.

Out of no where, a boy with a striking resemblance to Ayako jumped out of shrubbery, and was gone again that quickly. Kisame blinked, and looked to Itachi. To anyone else, it would have looked as though Itachi hadn't been affected. But Kisame knew this boy had surprised Itachi, even if it was just a little bit. They heard rummaging through the trees, and both men took on a fighting stance.

What happened next, though, made Kisame freeze. Ayako jumped out of the trees, her hair severely messy, her face flushed. She fell to her knees, and looked up at the two men. Her eyes brightened with recognition when she looked to Kisame.

_Don't remember me,_ Kisame silently pleaded.

"Kisame!" She shouted, getting up and running to the blue man. She slung her arms around him in a friendly hug.

Kisame left his arms at his sides, his eyes darting to meet Itachi's. The Uchiha raised his eyebrow ever so slightly. Kisame grinned sheepishly.

"I guess this is what had been troubling you, Kisame," he said simply.

"Well," Kisame started.

Kisame looked down at Ayako. He realized her leg was bleeding below the knee, her shirt was torn, her arm scraped up.

Her grip loosened, and she looked up at him with a half pained, half smiling expression. She had been hurt.

"Ayako?" A male voice called through the trees.

Kisame looked past the trees, and still couldn't see anything. Out of nowhere, like before, the same boy jumped out of the trees, almost quick enough to take Itachi by surprise, but not quite. His sharingan was faster than the boy.

Itachi simply reached out and caught the boy in mid-leap. His hand tightened around his neck, the boy fighting to get free. Gasping for air, and red-faced, he sank his teeth into Itachi's hand. Still, Itachi did not let go.

"Bisha!" Ayako screamed.

The next set of movements went by quickly, Kisame barely able to keep track. The boy made a movement, Itachi dropped him and moved back, Kisame pushed Ayako away, and went for the boy, before being blown away, with a force of wind so strong and out of no where. He looked up in surprise, but the boy, 'Bisha', was already battling it out with Itachi. It actually seemed to be an equal fight, both very strong opponents.

A few long minutes later, there were no trees to see within a two-mile radius, nothing but dirt and mud. Itachi stood above the unconscious boy, a small, triumphant smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Kisame looked around, unable to find Ayako. Itachi found her first, not far from her brothers body. It looked like she had tried to save him, but she only hurt herself further.

Itachi turned his red eyes on Kisame.

"I'll rid you of your problem, my friend," he said, without a trace of emotion.

Kisame watched, wishing it was over with. He didn't want to feel this way about this girl, he just wanted it gone.

He silently watched as Itachi started towards her small body, so helpless and defenceless on the ground. She stared at the red eyed monster with big, scared eyes. Itachi held up his hand, a kunai knife held in it.

Kisame found himself moving fast, and next he felt the Kunai pierce through his shoulder, and through the other side. Such force Itachi had used! For only a young girl!

"Kisame..." Ayako whimpered.

He looked up at Itachi. Itachi stared back with a slightly shocked face, and then turned around, walking off.

"Catch up later," he said simply.

Kisame sat there, back on to this woman. What is about her that made him feel like this? What had she done to him, to make him protect her life while sacrificing his own. Had he moved much further, Itachis deadly kunai would have pierced through his chest.

Ayako's warm arms then wrapped around his body, and though he felt like getting up and walking off, he stayed put for the time being. He liked the attention. Besides, he didn't plan on meeting her anymore. Why not have fun now? He turned around slowly, a cocky grin pasted on his face.

Life was good.


End file.
